Pobjoy Mint Closure After 58 Years As Managing Director Retires!

Key Takeaways

• Pobjoy Mint, in operation for 58 years (1965-2023), and its Managing Director, Taya Pobjoy, are set to retire at the end of 2023, leading to the closure of the mint
• The mint's history includes its founding by Derek Pobjoy in 1965, and Taya, his daughter, took on the role of Managing Director in 1998
• Taya Pobjoy announced the closure on the Coin World Podcast, stating that the website would continue to accept orders until November 2023
• Pobjoy Mint achieved notable numismatic milestones, such as the development of 'Virenium,' a man-made precious metal

Pobjoy Mint Announces Closure at End of 2023

After nearly six decades, spanning 58 years of producing official and commemorative coins, the Pobjoy Mint and its managing director, Taya Pobjoy, are set to retire at the end of 2023. Having been in operation (1965-2023) for nearly as long as our own incorporation in 1964 by managing director Lawrence Chard at Chards Coin and Bullion Dealer, it is with great sadness that we bid farewell to the Pobjoy Mint as they cease operations.

On October 12, 2023, Taya was featured on the Coin World Podcast in an episode titled 'The Pobjoy Mint Makes a Big Announcement.' During the episode, it was revealed that she would be retiring, and the family-owned Pobjoy Mint would be closing its doors. Additionally, Taya Pobjoy announced that the website would continue to accept orders but would be permanently shut down in November 2023, with no further coin developments.

Located in Kingswood, Surrey, England, the private mint struck coins for over 42 countries and territories during its tenure. In Taya's official announcement, she stated that her objective before retirement is to ensure that all Pobjoy Mint customers have the time to place their final orders and complete their collections, as new releases are brought forward. 

History of the Pobjoy Mint

In 1965, at the age of 32, Derek Pobjoy founded the Pobjoy Mint and named it after his family surname. Derek claimed that he purchased a coin press after leaving his previous family business, a jewellery and masonry business run by his father, Ernest Pobjoy, which ultimately led to the creation of the Pobjoy Mint.

In the first year after Pobjoy Mint's incorporation in 1965, following the passing of Sir Winston Churchill, they issued medals to honor Britain's former Prime Minister and wartime hero. Five years later, in 1970, Pobjoy Mint began striking coins on behalf of the Isle of Man, which eventually led to the creation of many of their most popular bullion coin series, including the Angel series, Isle of Man Cat series and the Noble bullion coin series.

Taya, the daughter of Derek Pobjoy, began working at the mint in 1990 at a similar age to her father when he first opened the business. Subsequently, in 1998, after eight years of working at the mint, Taya assumed the role of Managing Director, marking the commencement of the second generation's participation in the family business.

Key Numismatic Achievements

In 1978, Pobjoy developed the first man-made precious metal called 'Virenium,' which follows a similar naming convention to 'Vibranium,' a fictional metal that appeared in the popular Marvel comic book series back in 1966. Vibranium was depicted as an alien metal that crashed to Earth and was featured in many iconic Marvel character stories.

Unfortunately, purchasing and touching Virenium coins from the Pobjoy Mint won't grant you superpowers or make you invulnerable. However, you may not be disappointed in owning some as part of a coin collection due to the unique designs featured on the metal. The metal consists of 81% copper, 10% zinc, and 9% nickel.

Under Taya's leadership, Pobjoy demonstrated that they are one of the most influential and innovative mints in the world on multiple occasions. In 1993, Pobjoy Mint issued the first licensed product based on the Beatrix Potter books, featuring Peter Rabbit. Furthermore, in 2001, they released three Harry Potter coins for Warner Bros.'s first Harry Potter film, 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.' This film became one of the most popular movies in the last two decades, and all 25,000 coins available at the time sold out in just five hours.

Perhaps one of the biggest milestones achieved by the mint was in 1999 when they created the world's first-ever coloured titanium coin. Taya stated that employees of the mint had initially expressed doubts, saying, "Do you have any idea how hard that metal is? We are never going to be able to strike it." However, they not only succeeded but also began producing coloured 50 pence coins made of titanium.

Buy Pobjoy Mint Coins From Chards

At Chards, you can buy a wide range of Pobjoy coins currently in our stock at some of the most competitive prices in the market. Drawing from our expertise gained over nearly sixty years in the trade, we help customers achieve their personal and investment goals.

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